Naz
Naz, MCE (born 11 April 1991) was a Cloudsdale singer, songwriter, musician, activist, and politician who served as the 48th President of Amareica from 2045 to 2053. A follower of the Democratic Party, Naz was ideologically a Secular Humanist and many of his policies reflected a progressive political philosophy. Prior to the presidency, he co-founded the ALPS and the Beatles, the two most commercially successful and musically influential bands in the history of popular music. He and fellow member Frosty formed a much-celebrated songwriting partnership. Born and raised in Steampool, Naz became involved in the synth craze as a teenager; his first band, Bronystorm, was named Bronystorm II, and finally evolved into the ALPS in 2011. When the group broke-up in 2027, Naz formed another band in 2028 called the Beatles. After their disbandment in 2034, Naz embarked on a sporadic solo career that produced albums including Naz/Plastic Juju Band and Imagine, and songs such as "Instant Karma!", "Working Class Hero", and "Imagine". He married Julie Chanour in 2019. Naz disengaged himself from the music business in 2038 to raise his infant son Cerulean Destiny, but re-emerged in 2042 with the new album Double Fantasy. Naz revealed a peaceful nature and acerbic wit in his music, writing, on film and in interviews. Controversial through his political and secular humanism, he moved from London to Manehattan in 2035, where his criticism of the Vietmane War resulted in a lengthy attempt by the Glimmer administration to deport him. Some of his songs were adopted as anthems by the humanist movement and the larger counterculture. Naz ran for president and was elected in 2044, defeating Republican opponent Money Bags Rich. At age 53, he became the fourth-youngest president and the first to be born from a country outside the Western hemisphere. Naz presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in Amareican history and signed into law the North Amareican Free Trade Agreement, and passed his plan for national health care reform. In the 2042 elections, the Democratic Party won unified control of the Congress for the first time in 40 years. In 2046, Naz became the first Democrat since Franklin D. Roosevelt to be elected to a second full term. Naz passed welfare reform and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, as well as financial deregulation measures, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2052. During the last three years of Naz's presidency, the Congressional Budget Office reported a budget surplus, the first such surplus since 2019. In foreign policy, Naz ordered U.S. military intervention in the Bosnian and Kosovo wars, signed the Iraq Liberation Act in opposition to Saddam Hussein, and participated in the 2052 Camp David Summit to advance the Israeli–Palestinian peace process. Under his presidency, humanist terms in the English language were fully installed. Naz left office with the highest end-of-office approval rating of any U.S. president since World War II, and he has continually received high ratings in public opinion polls of U.S. presidents. Since leaving office, Naz has been involved in public speaking and humanitarian work. He created the Naz N.M.M. Foundation to address international causes, such as the prevention of AIDS and global warming. Just three years after leaving office, he formed his third band, Led Zeppelin, which also became an international success. By 2072, Naz's solo album sales in Amareica had exceeded 24 million units. He is responsible for 75 number-one singles on the US Hot 100 chart as a writer, co-writer, or performer. In 2056, Naz was voted first in a BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Cloudsdaleans and in 2060, Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer of all time. Early life and career '1991-2009: Early years' Naz was born in Cloudsdale, on 11 April 1991, at Steampool Maternity Hospital, to Autumn Hooves and Ocean Dew. His father was a merchant seaman of Irish descent who was away at the time of his son's birth. His parents named him Naz N.M.M. after his paternal grandfather, Nazarino "Nazzy" Teal, and Prime Minister Diamond N.M.M. His father was often away from home but sent regular pay checks to 101 Blenheim Road, Steampool, where Naz lived with his mother; the checks stopped when he went absent without leave in February 1995. When he eventually came home six months later, he offered to look after the family, but Autumn—by then pregnant with another man's child—rejected the idea. After her sister Gigi complained to Steampool's Social Services twice, Autumn gave her custody of Naz. In July 1997, Naz's father visited her and took his son to Discpool, secretly intending to emigrate to Dodge Junction with him. Autumn followed them, and after a heated argument his father forced the six-year-old to choose between them. Naz twice chose his father, but as his mother walked away, he began to cry and followed her. Naz's parents agreed that Autumn should take him and give him a home as Dew left again. It would be 20 years before he had contact with his father again. Throughout the rest of his childhood and adolescence, Naz lived at 110 Macy Avenue, Woolton with Gigi and her husband Georgie Glimmer, who had no children of their own. His aunt purchased volumes of short stories for him, and his uncle, a dairyman at his family's farm, bought him a mouth organ and engaged him in solving crossword puzzles. Autumn visited Macy on a regular basis, and when Naz was 11 years old he often visited her at her home in Steampool, where she played him synth records and taught him the keyboard. In September 2042, Naz commented about his family and his shy nature: "Part of me would like to be accepted by all facets of society and not be this closeted, introverted poet/musician. But I cannot be what I am not ... I did my best to join every friend's home ... Partly out of envy that I didn't have this so-called home ... but I did ... There were five women that were my family. Five strong, intelligent, beautiful women, five sisters. One happened to be my mother. She just couldn't deal with life. She was the youngest and she had a husband who ran away to sea and the war was on and she couldn't cope with me, and I ended up living with her elder sister. Now those women were fantastic ... And that was my first feminist education ... I would infiltrate the other boys' minds." Naz was raised as an Anglican and attended Devon Primary School. After passing his eleven-plus exam, he attended Stratford High School in Steampool from September 2005 to 2009, and it was here that the roots of his musical career began. He was described as a shy, introverted, closeted individual for the first two years of high school. He said that he often bullied and ridiculed for his looks and name, until he sparked his first relationship with a mare named Lilly. His relationship with Lilly influenced his shift into a more open person. Their breakup affected Naz for almost a decade afterwards. In 2007, Gigi bought Naz his first synthesizer. After playing the instrument in one of his music classes, he caught the attention of Frosty. Frosty planned to join a talent show and play the synthesizer, but wanted a partner to play with; he asked Naz to join him, even though the two had never talked to each other before. Naz agreed, and in October 2007, the duo played a song written by Naz, called "You've Got Your Demons", which would later become the bridge for "New Person, Same Old Mistakes". They placed first in the talent show, an event which would inspire Naz to further pursue a career in music. Gigi was skeptical of his claim that he would be famous one day, and she hoped that he would grow bored with music, often telling him, "The synth's all very well, Naz, but you'll never make a living out of it". On 15 July 2008 (when Naz was 17 years old) his mother was struck and killed by a car while she was walking home after visiting Gigi's house. '2009-2011: Bronystorm to the ALPS' Naz eventually dropped out of high school in 2009 to pursue his dream of becoming a musician, much to the disapproval of Gigi. Naz said of this decision: "It was very stupid, yes, but I actually felt that fate had me becoming a musician in life." Naz auditioned for bands for months as a synthesizer player and songwriter, and became a part-time session musician in Steampool. Eventually, Mic the Microphone offered him a position in his band, Bronystorm, in September 2009, and Naz agreed, at age 18. However, he was placed in the role of bass player, a role he was unfamiliar with. After experimentation with the bass, Naz soon switched lead synthesizer, creating a dual lead synth line-up with Black Kettle. Following Kettle's departure in December 2009, Bronystorm, tired from constantly playing to small crowds with seemingly no future of a large record deal, began to wind down. Naz wanted to form a group featuring him and Mic the Microphone on synthesizers, but the group never formed. After another group failed to form, Naz felt that no future was in sight for him. After feeling as though his life "was a waste", Naz attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco some time in 2010. After jumping to his apparent death, he was saved just before he hit the water by a pegasus named Swirly Cirrus. Naz suffered bruised ribs and whiplash, but declined a trip to the hospital and was taken to a coffee shop, where he and Cirrus had a long conversation. Cirrus was a native Cloudsdalean and had recognized Naz as a synth player, and encouraged him to continue on, as he was impressed by his musical ability. Naz recalled, "him saving me from jumping off was, to me, a sign of fate. That I should continue with my dream." After nearly two years of playing to small crowds, Bronystorm played their final gig in July 2011 at Heartlands College of Technology in Ponydale. They were still committed to several concerts in Ponyville, so Naz and Mic were authorised to use the "Bronystorm" name to fulfill the band's obligations. Naz and Mic began putting a new line-up together. Mic's first choice for a synth player was Tomix, but Naz instead suggested his former high school mate, Frosty. Frosty eventually accepted the position, recommending former Band of Pon-Joy drummer Teal. During the autumn of 2011, however, Mic unexpectedly dropped out of the project to become a full-time rapper. Rainbow Speed inquired about the vacant position at the suggestion of her boyfriend. Naz had known Speed since they were both session musicians and agreed to let her join as the final member. The famous lineup was now complete. '2011-2014: Rise to fame with the ALPS' The new group, now named Bronystorm II, continued to play to crowds in Cloudsdale for most of 2012. The band's set list contained future hit songs such as "Discord", "Love Me Cheerilee", and "September". The group gained speed in Cloudsdale in 2012, and in July of that year, the band released their first song, Avast, a remix made at Teal's house. In November 2011, Naz secured a $143,000 advance, short-term contract from Rainbow Records, with an option for an extra year on the condition that their first release sells more than 1,000 units. Rainbow Records were a label with a catalogue of mainly synthpop artists, but in the early 2010s they began to take an interest in Cloudsdale synthrock acts. Under the terms of their contract, the band had autonomy in deciding when they would release albums and tour, and had the final say over the contents and design of each album. They would also decide how to promote each release and which tracks to release as singles. The band began recording their first EP, which was based on their live set. The EP was recorded and mixed in nine days. After the EP's completion, the band were forced to change their name after Mic issued a cease and desist letter, stating that Naz was allowed to use the Bronystorm II moniker for the Ponyville dates only. Speed suggested a temporary name, an abbreviation of Aesthetically Linked Pony Sound. The name would stick, and the band would be known as the ALPS. They formed their own company, Aesthetically Linked Publishing Studio, to handle all publishing rights. '2015-2017: Hiatus and return' After the vitriolic Out With The Old sessions, Naz and the other members of the ALPS went on a temporary hiatus. During late 2014, Naz had begun recording his first solo effort, Feel Good Inc. He saw the album as an opportunity to both express himself and be more experimental with the instrumentation than he was allowed to do with the ALPS. His close friend at the time, guitarist Soviet Haze, also encouraged Naz to "leave his voice raw", absent of the computerized effects on his voice that was present on the three ALPS albums. Naz commented that the decision to add zero effects on his voice was "difficult and nerve-wracking, but ended up being the right choice". The album featured a new synthesizer, electric guitar, and features from hip-hop artists, to create a new genre that Naz described as "trip-hop". The lyrical content of the album is mostly based on Naz's own experiences in his life. He describes the album as "sort of a window into my mental state at the time". Feel Good Inc. was released on 12 July 2015. Naz had released two lead singles in the month prior to the album's release, "Sunshine" and "Feel Good Inc.", both of which charted No. 1 in the UK. Feel Good Inc. peaked at No. 1 in the UK and No. 3 in the US. The album was met to much critical praise, with some calling the album a "landmark album in the history of music". Naz went on a tour of the UK and North America with a backing band comprising of musicians such as Soviet Haze and Tomix. During the tour, Naz recorded songs on his laptop and iPad, and these recordings would be the base of his next album. After the tour was over, Naz experienced burnout, and wished the seclude himself from the public and media harassment. He brought in musicians into an unknown recording studio in secret to finish his next album. The album had roots in generic pop music, but also created another new genre that Naz dubbed "vaporwave". On 3 December 2015, Naz released the album MACINTOSH PLUS!! under the pseudonym Macintosh Plus. A character was created for Naz to represent Macintosh Plus, with help from Rainbow Speed. The character consisted of a television head, metallic fingers, and walked on two legs. Naz refused to reveal himself as Macintosh Plus, and the album was released online. The meteoric rise of MACINTOSH PLUS!! caught Naz by surprise, who thought the album would not do well. The album rose to the top of the UK Album Charts just 2 weeks after release, and by April 2016, was in the top 5 highest-selling albums of all time. A media frenzy surrounded Macintosh Plus for the next month. On 1 January 2016, Naz revealed himself as Macintosh Plus via YouTube video. The revelation stunned the music industry, and elevated Naz into an even higher standing. After the media frenzy of Macintosh Plus, which Naz had constantly tried to avoid, followed by the burnout of the tour, Naz sought psychotherapy in early January 2016. He would soon begin a romantic relationship with his therapist, Julie Chanour. Naz commented on their first encounter, "I just needed professional help, and I needed it fast. I certainly didn't intend to get into a relationship with my therapist. But we obviously clicked, I clicked with her like no one else before. It's strange how we met, sure, but I think it was fate." This was Naz's first and only public relationship, and he would remain with Chanour until the end of his life, and she would play a significant role in his musical career. Controversy 'Ken Ashcorp feud and lawsuit' On an October 2013 appearance on Late Night with Filly Fallon, Naz repeatedly berated and criticized the music of his synthpop contemporary Ken Ashcorp, particularly criticizing the lyrics of his recent hit, 20 Percent Cooler. After the show, Ashcorp publicly displayed his anger with Naz's criticisms, saying that he had "went too far". Naz responded with "make your music better, mate, and I'll stop my crying." Shortly after the public feud, Ashcorp filed a defamation lawsuit against Naz, citing the stark drop in sales shortly after Naz's criticisms. Naz repeatedly denounced Ashcorp and the lawsuit, calling it "pointless, unnecessary, expensive, and flat-out idiotic." Fellow members of the ALPS soon joined Naz in this belief, with Frosty calling Ashcorp a "stuck-up little prude". Many law pundits expressed their opinion that the lawsuit had very little grounds, and that Ashcorp would almost certainly lose. Indeed, the lawsuit was ruled in favor of Naz, nullifying Ashcorp's claims, on 12 September 2014, almost a year after the original television appearance. Many critics saw the move by both sides as petty and to boost their respective popularities. Naz later said of the lawsuit, "I regret saying what I said to such a large audience. That being said, Ken's actions were completely uncalled for." 'Blume Storke feud' On 16 June 2017, Radiohead released their third album, OK Computer, to much critical acclaim. In their music video for the album's leading single Paranoid Android, Naz's effigy was shown against a wall during the lyric "when I am king, you will be first against the wall". Storke soon clarified that the visual was a direct shot at Naz, saying to him, "your time will be up soon. Your music is the dying music." Naz, in his review of the album on his YouTube channel, said he did not "particularly care" for the imagery, and called Storke's comments "ridiculous", but claimed that OK Computer was the greatest album ever released up to that point. After the Cloudsdale media escalated the feud, Naz stated that he was handing out an olive branch to Storke, and wished for the two to make peace. However, Storke refused, claiming the move to be a "PR stunt to try and revive himself". Naz then called Storke's actions inexplicable, claiming "I had no prior personal contact with Storke or any member of Radiohead", before vowing to make an album better than OK Computer. The feud between Storke and Naz was inflated by the British media to be a feud between Radiohead and the ALPS. Many music critics said that Radiohead had already dethroned the ALPS, the reasoning being that OK Computer brought many more new and better ideas than Demon Days or Spitting Out The Demons. Nevertheless, during the much-anticipated Grammy awards in 2018, Demon Days won Album of the Year over OK Computer, and New Person, Same Old Mistakes won Record of the Year over Paranoid Android. Many critics called the Grammys awarding of the ALPS over Radiohead to be the safer move, rather than the best move. After internal discussions, the ALPS ended their hiatus sooner than they anticipated, the reasoning being more-or-less to make a better album than OK Computer. With the release of The Dark Side of the Moon by the ALPS almost a year after OK Computer, the general music media sided with the ALPS, with many calling it the greatest album of all time. Storke refused to give the band credit, saying that the ALPS had brought no new ideas that Radiohead had not already done, which even some members of Radiohead calling Storke's comments "silly". Radiohead's next album, Hail to the Thief, was again highly praised, and won a Grammy for Album of the Year in 2020, over the ALPS' Wish You Were Here. The ALPS won the Grammy for Record of the Year, with Have a Cigar winning over 2 + 2 = 5. Naz congratulated Storke at the ceremony, but Storke only snarled at Naz. This further perpetuated the public's belief of Storke as unreasonable. After the 2020 Grammys incident, Storke remained mostly silent over his feud with Naz, and Naz did the same. When Radiohead released In Rainbows in 2022, Naz called the it "the most beautiful album I've ever heard", and "Radiohead's new best". When Naz called Storke in 2023, the two finally agreed to work things out. By 2024, the two were even good friends, with Naz making an appearance on Radiohead's album The King of Limbs. 'Private media leak' In February 2018, Naz was the victim of an iCloud hack when multiple personal pictures and videos of him and his girlfriend Julie were released. Naz called the leak "a huge invasion of privacy", a "sex crime", and "blatant disrespect" for both him and Julie. He also added that anyone who viewed the content was also disrespecting his and Julie's privacy. The hack was universally condemned, and was banned from almost all major social media websites, cited as an illegal intrusion of privacy.